Means for preventing distortion of cartridge-shells.



Amaai m magma y ORDNNoB, o

L. TENSliv MEANS POR PREVBNTING RTION OF RIDGE SHBLLS. i

f n APPLICATION FILED JULY 1e, I l n 908' PatentedgSptJ, 190,8.`

LUDWIG MERTENS, OF LONDON, ENGLAND.

MEANS FOR PREVENTINGr DISTORTION OF CARTRIDGE-SHELLS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Sept. 15, 1908.

Application led July 18, 1908. Serial No. 444,161.

To all 'whom it may concern.'

Be it known that LYLUDWIG MERTENs, a subject of the German Emperor., residing in London, England, have invented certain Improvenients in Means for Preventing Distortion of Cartridge-Shells, of which the following is a specification.

- vIn the o eration of firearms using cartridges, an particularly thoseof the rapid fire automatic type, it has been found that the rapidity of action is such that the high gas pressures developed cause distortion of the cartridge shells, and also frequently re-' sult in their sticking in the barrel.

One object of my invention is to rovide a firearm of such construction that cistortion and sticking of the shells shall be prevented, and that by means of a relatively uncomplicated nature 5 it being thus ossible to attain higher speeds of operation t an would otherwise be the case. These objects and other advantageous ends I secure as hereinafter set forth, reference being had to the accompanyin drawings, in which *igure 1, is a vertical section of sufficient of the breech of a firearm to illustrate my invention, and Fig. 2, is a vertical section on the line 2*-2, Fig. 1. In the above drawings, A represents the rear end of the barrel or breech of a firearm, which in the resent instance is of the automatic rapid re type, such as is described and claimed in the U. S. Patent #$891,778, issued to me June 23, 1908. The rear end of ,this breech is counterbored to provide a cylindrical recess of a diameter larger than the bore a, and said recess is threaded for the reception of a correspondingly threaded block B, having a iiange of substantially the same diameter as the barrel A.

Between'the inner end of the threaded portion of the block B and the bottom of the recess into which it is screwed is a cylindrical piece C also threaded into the recess and so placed that there is a space communicating with the bore of the barrel between its front face and the bottom of said recess. This space or passage entersthe bore a just in front of the forward end of the cartridge shell and there is a similar s ace or passage between the rear face of t e piece O and the adjacent end of the block or plug B. This latter, as well as said piece C, is chambered for the reception of the cartridge shell D, and"Y there are extendin from face to face of said piece O agg suitarb e number of holes or passages c, which thus connect the two above noted spaces.

Any desired mechanism may be employed for inserting and withdrawing a cartridge, and in the present instance I have illustrated the rear end of the cartridge as engaged by a portion e of a movablev breech block through the center of which extends a firing pin e. Connected by a screw to the block B is a rearwardly extending cartridge guide b', and 'in addition there are other parts illustrated which, being in no way connected with my resent invention, will not be further referred to.

Under operating conditions, after a cartridge has been inserted in the block B ofthe barrel and the charge exploded in the well known manner, the pressure from the gases of such explosion isv transmitted from the bore immediately in front of the cartridge, through the space a between the piece O and the bottom of the recess formed in the rear end of the barrel A, through the passages c, and through the space between the rear face of the piece C and the adjacent end of the block B, into the space between the outside of the cartridge shell and the inside walls of the cartridge chamber in said block B. As a result, substantially equal pressures are eX- erted both within and outside of the cartridge shell, so that this latter is no way distorted, and there is no tendency to so force it against the Walls of the chamber in which it is contained as to cause it to stick thereto. As a consequence of these results from this construction and arrangement of parts, it is possible to operate an automaticiirearm at a much higher speed than would be otherwise attainable, and as is obvious, with a greatly increased accuracy and certainty of operation. Moreover, the strain and wear on the vmoving parts of the device are materially diminished.

While my invention is particularly adapted for use on automatically acting firearms, it is to be understood that it is by no means limited thereto, since it may be utilized with advantage both in other forms of infantry arms as well as in artillery.

l claim 1. A firearm having a cartridge chamber, -means for exploding a cartridge therein, and neans provided with passages placed to conwduct gas from the bore of said firearm to the outside surface of a shell in said cartridge chamber so as to equalize the presgurc within and Without said shell after the explosion of a charge. y

v 2. The combination `rwith'tllebarrel of aE firearm, of a chanibered block fitting theiend of the same, and means'foi" exploding a Carr. tridge inserted innthe chamber of said block, with a structure having vassages extending parallel with the bore of te. irearmand con# necting the chamber with said bore so as to equalize pressurennside A aand. .outside of the cartridge shell immediately after lthe car-g tridge has been red.

3. The combinationof :a-barrel havingia threaded recess m A,lts `rear .,.end, .-a plece .threaded into -saidtrecessland spacedrsome c distance from the v.bottoni thereof, va block also threaded into the recess vandlspacedlsome. distance ,away frein-.saidfpieceI therev beingfai `cartridge eliamberextending .through the block 4and the l. pecmand a l.. passage .or pas-1 `,sages thrciigh the-,piece connecting .the sp aces:

sesgos adjacent'to' its two faces, With means for eX- ,pldng y,a cartridge.

4;The combination in a iirearm of a barrel 4hiwingsa recess, in its rear end in line Witliits bore, a piece mounted in said recess having passages parallel to said bore, a block also #entering the recess and having achamber'for -thefreeeption-efea cartridge, said plece also.' having a central opening inline With the bore and cartridge chamber, therev being l,passages leading respectively I lthe bore Aand the f cham-berto saidparallel passages, with means v-`for lexploding a cartridge insaid chamber. ,In `testimony .lwhereoi 4 I have signed my ,I iamehto .this .specil'icatiom in. the .presencejof v tWo subscribing Witnesses. y

1 LUDWIG MERTENS- fitnesses:

,ZANIA SEGAL,

GILBERT '.ELEronnR TYSON. 

